Open head drums are commonly used as storage and transportation containers in many industries in the U.S. and Europe. Such drums are relatively easy to clean or recondition and thus are generally reusable. One problem that open head drums have is the difficulty in forming a proper seal about the top of the drum. Typically, open head drums have an outwardly rolled upper edge which is engaged by a lid which has an annular seat formed thereon. The seat rests atop a gasket intermediate the drum and the lid. A closure ring is placed over the lid and drum rim and tightened to maintain the sealing pressure on the gasket. The closure ring is a split ring which is secured on the drum head by one of various means for urging the ends of the ring toward each other. The weakness in the seal lies at the junction of the split ring. Open head drums must undergo drop tests wherein the drums are dropped from a height of at least four feet. The internal and external forces generated by the sudden deceleration upon impact typically cause leakage at the junction. Prior attempts to alleviate the problem have been to reinforce the lid at the junction as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,931 or to place a protective cover over the junction as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,700. Neither attempt has been successful; therefore, this attempt attacks the problem differently. There remains a need for a closure ring which reduces the vulnerability of the seal at the ring junction.